Colon-cleanse, a healthy diet, and exercise make for a healthy life. This statement is so full of truth that little more needs to be said on the subject. Would that it were that simple! The reality shows that for a variety of reasons this simple truth has been perverted to a billion dollar industry that is the supplementation market. How often have you known those that are seeking health and fitness but not in a properly stocked pantry or inside a gym but from within a bottle of nutritional supplements? Nobody is exempted from this folly; doctors are just as guilty as star athletes and busy moms who would never, ever suggest to their growing teenage daughters to ingest the supplements that they themselves are taking with every meal.

You are cleansing your colon or about to start the process of cleaning your colon. Good for you, for taking this step towards a healthier you. While you are ridding your body of toxins it is important not to put more harmful stuff into your body at the same time that you are ridding the body of toxins. You will want to eat healthy foods while colon cleansing. If you are uncertain of what foods and beverages to avoid during your colon cleanse, keep reading and you will discover some things to avoid and also some very good choices for food and beverages that you can have during your colon cleanse.

A colon cleanse can be an herbal concoction, liquids, or pills. You can naturally cleanse your colon using water, raw vegetables and raw fruits.

Colon cleanses can help prevent colon cancer from developing.

Colon cleansing can help you to lose weight, as the process will flush out excess stool weight. Some individuals have has as much as 20 to 30 extra waste poundage. This is especially true for individuals who have consumed diets high in grease or fattening foods.

Are you experiencing the tell tale signs of menopause?

* Hot flashes and night sweats are taking over and you do not know if you are hot or cold, while at night you so uncomfortable that you rarely get a good night's sleep.

* Your mood swings are extreme and you find yourself down in the dumps of depression or on the edge of your seat with anxiety – for no apparent reason.

* Your legs may be bloated while weight seems to be accumulating in your midsection, even though you hit the gym at least three times a week and watch carefully what you eat.

If you do a search online for colon cleanser you are sure to find a lot of them. Here is a breakdown of some of the more popular ones.

Enuvia Internal Cleansing System:

This system is a three-product system. It claims to cleanse the liver, kidneys and the colon. It also claims to detoxify the body of up to 94.9% of the toxins harbored there. It says it is safe, effective and comfortable to take. It also states that the ingredients are all natural and delivered in specialized formulas to also give you vitamins and minerals. It is used to flush the system of chemicals, parasites and toxic build up. Targets the colon, liver and kidneys. Has a cost of $59.95 – $159.95

Whenever a physician may prescribe a colonoscopy, you know that you will need to cleanse your colon so that the doctor will have an unobstructed view of your gastrointestinal tract. Many of the colon cleansers that were suggested to patients prior to these procedures contained sodium phosphate – usually monosodium phosphate also known as NaH2PO4 – because of its ability to act as a laxative that quickly cleans out the intestines. For this reason it is not surprising that soon the commercially available colon cleansing kits for use by those who wanted to detoxify their colons for health purposes and not just in preparation of tests were also containing that ingredient.

Colon health is increasingly entering the mainstream thought process. Most everyone knows about the urban legend that asserted John Wayne – the John Wayne of fame and fortune who was the quintessential American tough man, hero, and as true blue as the meat he consumed was red – upon his death had an intestine packed tight with over 40 pounds of compressed fecal matter, blamed in part on his diet. For the record, this story about Mr. Wayne is a complete and utter fabrication; first of all, since he died from natural causes an autopsy was never performed and thus no quantity of feces was removed and weighed while secondly, in the interest of complete disclosure, the vile rumor that began circulating about Mr. Wayne's colon health was in part spawned by his death of stomach cancer which may have been a resurgence of the lung cancer which went into remission earlier on in his life.

Touted by websites dedicated to all those women who have the body of an older Simone Signoret but desire to look like Beyonce or any teeny bopper model, the Beyonce diet is quite often used interchangeably as a term for a colon cleanse. It is vitally important to understand that what Beyonce did to lose her weight has little if anything to do with a proper colon cleanse that relies on supplementation to aid the colon in the expulsion of fecal matter that thus far has been attaching itself to the walls of the intestines.

A colon cleanse is a procedure that seeks to cleanse the colon from fecal matter that has not been flushed out in perhaps years or maybe even decades. The buildup of such fecal matter happens gradually, but just like a clogged sink begins with that one fat molecule that attaches itself to the inner lining of the pipe, so does the colon get clogged because of poor food choices so many make on a daily basis. If you eat a diet rich in whole grain and organic vegetables, the odds are good that you do not need to visit the health food store aisle that houses colon cleanse supplements. On the other hand, if your diet consists mainly of fast food, fatty meats, limp veggies that have been overcooked to within an inch of their solid consistency, and sugary snacks as well as sodas that rob the body of important hydration, then you most likely will need to become well acquainted with that particular section of the health food store.

Many individuals have turned to colon cleansing when they suffer from constipation, sluggishness, tiredness, acne or candida. They have heard or read somewhere that cleansing your colon can rid your body of toxins that are responsible for these ailments and others. It is thought that the colon is one of the body's organs that has an impact on the other organs of the body such as the liver and kidney. Most individuals have poor diets that add mucoid plaque, toxins and parasites to the colon. A clogged colon can lead to constipation.

Colon cleanses are marketed as being the answer to toxins invading your body on a daily basis. Citing the toxins that surround us on a daily basis and pointing an accusing finger at the fast food industry and the prepackaged meals that rely on overly processed foods, refined sugar, and fat and salt to make them palatable, proponents argue that that a colon cleanse done annually is a requirement for healthy living. The thought is not that far fetched when you consider the fact that the average American diet is sadly devoid of adequate amounts of dietary fiber – the very substance that permits the colon to evacuate fecal matter efficiently and continuously. It is therefore not unheard of that fecal matter will not be expelled but instead remains in the gut and hardens while it attaches itself to the intestinal walls. The use of drugs and prescription medications in some cases will add to this problem and thus a colon cleanse is a very real first step for a healthy lifestyle.

In simplest terms, diverticulosis is a condition which affects the colon and may be likened to the creation of pockets which distend from the previously smooth lining of the organ. The onset is usually concomitant with middle age, and several risk factors have been associated with the creation of these pockets.

* Chronic constipation will lead to a buildup of fecal matter that at times may be so great that it will require the colon to generate additional storage space until the next bowel movement. The formation of pockets will thus serve as extra storage for feces.

An avid follower of the diet fads that are making their rounds in today's society is quite possibly familiar with the apple patch diet. Also known as the apple drop, the dry slap diet, or the apple Band-Aid, this fad is making claims and promises that are too good to be true, thus firmly establishing its residence in the diet hall of shame. The explanation of the apple patch diet is easy:

* A patch that has nothing to do with apples – other than its shape – is attached to the body in a discrete location.

There is a school of thought that claims the end justifies the means. In some ways quacks that sell phony colon cleansers see themselves as the great equalizers of a society that has collectively become so overweight and comfortable that it requires special supplementation to clean out colons that are being impacted with fecal matter not pushed out during regular bowel movements. Some claim that what they sell is not so much the actual herbage but instead the psychological wellbeing that comes from believing that you did something healthy and good for your body. The latter case of course refers to the placebo effect which has a very true and very real place in American medicine. You can, and in some cases should, be made to believe beyond doubt that what you are doing for your body is healthy and beneficial and quite frequently your body will follow your mind.

Consumers who look into colon cleanses are quite frequently turned off by the cost. After all, spending between $49.99 and 129.99 for a bottle of supplements that are simply designed to have you do number two is not something many a hard worker is willing to pay for. Add to this the fact that the prevailing thought process of "if it ain't broken, don't fix it" still applies to health and overall wellness, and you can quickly ascertain why colon health is so often neglected. As a matter of fact, many a consumer does not even think about the colon until there is a severe health problem associated with the gastrointestinal tract. In some cases, the presence of such symptoms also signal that the window of opportunity for the administration of colon cleanses has in fact closed.

You are going through the process of cleansing out your colon – good for you. Do yourself a favor and do not gunk it all up again, strive to eat a healthier diet from now on. It would be silly to eat processed foods and junk foods while going through the process of cleaning the toxins out of your colon caused by these very foods! It is important to eat healthy while you are cleansing. Here are some tips on what foods to eat and what not to eat during your colon cleansing and afterwards as well.

If you are ready to undergo a colon cleanse to flush out the accumulation of compacted fecal matter that builds up over time in response to questionable dietary habits – which most Americans readily admit to – you have a lot of options. Physicians prescribe quickie colon cleanses which are generally considered harsh and may even contain ingredients that could adversely affect your kidneys. Other methods involve the use of substances that will work gently in your colon but may take a while to rev up to their performance. By far the most readily available colon cleansers are natural supplements that rely on a host of herbs, some spices, and even minerals to affect the evacuation of fecal matter from the colon.

As you make your way down the aisle of your local well stocked health food store, you are probably quite surprised to see the plethora of colon cleansers. Some profess to do their work in just three days, while others may take as long as one week. Still others will scoff at the notion that your colon could be cleansed in such a short period of time and instead they will offer to do the job in 20 to 30 days. For some manufacturers even that is not enough and considering the follow up treatments and concurrent treatments needed, all in all you are looking at most likely least two months' worth of treatments.

A lifetime of poor eating habits and a lifestyle that leads to clogged, disgusting colons is making people feel sick, tired and sluggish. If you want to feel energized, revitalized, cleaner and healthier, you need to cleanse your colon. Individuals who are looking for a colon cleanser will be bombarded by magazine and Internet ads. Everyone has the best product of course. What should you really look for in a colon cleanser and how can you tell when you are buying a good one?

Healthy individuals do not need to cleanse their colons. If you are having a bowel movement after each meal that takes less than a minute to expel and does not cause any straining; you do not need to use a colon-cleansing product. Colon cleansing products can be overused just like any other product or medicine. They can cause dehydration and electrolyte imbalance if used in excess of need. Hydrotherapy cleanses can cause infections due to unclean equipment, damage to the walls of the intestine and over hydration which can be very harmful and even deadly. Your body is designed to function perfectly when we take care to eat the proper natural foods available to us.